“No,” Taio said without any preamble or ceremony.
“You have not heard what King Wollem offers,” Old Ceba’s great-grandson said.
“I do not need to hear,” Taio said.“I want her.”He flicked a hand at me as though I was an apple in the market.
“The king offers you one of his wolves,” the historian-in-training said.“His two females may be the last of their kind.The she-wolf will lend prestige to your court.”
Yung said something under his breath, and Taio nodded.Old Ceba’s gaze went from one man to the other.His great-grandson spoke again, but Old Ceba lifted a hand, silencing him.“I told the king you would reject the wolf.The Zulenii do not keep pets, do they?”
“I will take the wolf and set her free,” Taio said.“But I will keep Lady Mara.”
The irony of setting the wolf free but keeping me was not lost on me.“And if Lady Mara wishes to be free?”I said, interrupting.Old Ceba made a tsking sound, which showed his disapproval.
“Then Lady Mara should have won the challenge.Is that all?”Taio asked.His behavior was incredibly rude, but I was not surprised.My mother had been right to call him a barbarian.
Old Ceba said something I didn’t understand, and Taio responded.I couldn’t help but be impressed by how well Old Ceba spoke in the Zulenii language.I glanced at his great-grandson, who appeared to be listening intently.
“The old man asks your price,” Omira murmured to me.I had forgotten she was beside me and turned my head quickly, which made the room spin.Her hand settled briefly on my back, but I moved forward and away from her touch.
“My price?”I hissed.
Omira nodded.“The old man says you are the king’s favorite.He says he can persuade the king to part with another daughter.”
Taio looked at me then and I stared back, glaring at him.I did not know how to feel.I didn’t want to leave, but I also did not want any of my sisters to leave—except Broga.He could have her.
Taio spoke, his gaze still on my face.“No.”
I felt the air leave my lungs.I did not need to know him well to know that was his final word on the matter.
Old Ceba spoke again, still in Zulenii.I looked down at the floor this time, at the overlapping squares on the carpet, making an intricate pattern.Old Ceba was wasting his breath.
“He asks to send an escort to accompany us to the border,” Omira murmured.“He says the passage is treacherous.”
“That’s true,” I said.
“Shh!”Omira said.
“Listen to me.”I moved away from Omira who was muttering for me to be quiet.“I have been patrolling the outerlands for almost ten years.It’s only grown more dangerous.You were lucky to reach Highcastle.If we encounter a pack of Hollows on the return, it’s very likely the end of us.”
“You are a warrior,” Taio said to me.“All of us know how to fight and defend.”He gestured to his team.
“But we haven’t trained together,” I said.“I don’t know how to fight with you or you with me.We don’t have any protocols.I don’t know if you have ever even fought a Hollow.”
Taio’s gaze flicked to Omira and then away.“Oh, gods.You haven’t, have you?”I honestly didn’t know how that was possible.How could their kingdom exist without having to defend against Hollows?
“You look at the maps,” Taio said, “and find the safe passage.”
“There’s no truly safe passage,” I said, moving closer to Taio.“I am looking for the terrain that will provide us the most cover.I don’t know where the Hollows might be.You encountered none on your trek here?”
“We moved quickly,” he said.“And quietly.”
“That was pure luck.”I looked at each of the Zulenii in turn.“I don’t think you will be so lucky again.We need to bring a patrol with us.Fifteen to twenty warriors, at least.”
“No,” Taio said.
“Do you want to die?”I argued.I had come to stand right before him, and I looked down at him now.“Because you will get us all killed with your stubbornness.”
He rose from the couch, forcing me to look up at him.“My stubbornness will keep us alive.Your fifteen to twenty soldiers will slit our throats and take you back here.”
